Recoil
by EyeofAmethyst07
Summary: After Tapu Koko is saved from a battle by Tapu Fini, the two of them struggle with their emotions and separate themselves to hide their vulnerabilities. However, when it is discovered that other Legendaries exist and the Alolan deities are summoned to a welcoming ceremony, how will either of them handle their feelings towards each other? Koko x Fini. MeleeShipping


Recoil Repercussions

The Alolan deity known as Tapu Koko growled at the Salamence that hovered before him, electricity sparking throughout his body. The male guardian of Melemele Island pointed an accusing finger at the Dragon Type, anger seeping through his form just as hotly as the electricity was.

"I was about to take a nap, y'know!" The guardian began his tirade in a quite childish manner, which caused the Salamence's brow to furrow in confusion. It wasn't every day you met a Land Spirit, much less have one complain to you like an infant hatchling. "I'd just spent a _loooong_ day doing nice things for people. Do you know how _tired_ that makes me?" The Tapu shook his head in disappointment.

"And what's my reward for doing all these nice things? I get summoned to defeat some ungrateful _dragon!_ And now I have to fight you when I'm tired. Do you know what happens when I get tired? Huh?" The Salamence could do nothing but blink. The poor Dragon/Flying type was unaware of two things; one, that Tapu Koko's typing was Electric/Fairy, and thus he was someone who it would be unwise to pick a fight with. Secondly, Koko's annoyance and quick-to-fire anger was a characteristic so attributed to him that the humans had added this to his Pokedex entry; _"It has a hair-trigger temper but forgets what made it angry an instant later."_

As such, it was quite amusing for the surrounding wild Pokémon to observe the Tapu's battles, whenever he emerged from his home in the Ruins.

"I GET ANGRY WHEN I'M TIRED, SON!" A split second after these words were spoken, Tapu Koko enveloped himself in electricity and used Wild Charge. The much slower Salamence had no chance to even blink, much less evade the powerful attack. However, it wasn't enough to instantly defeat the dual type, thanks to it being Dragon. As Tapu Koko hesitated due to the recoil damage, the Salamence rose its front legs, before slamming them down again in attack. Tapu Koko widened his eyes, realizing what move the Dragon had chosen.

Earthquake.

"Oh, for the love of—!" The Melemele guardian was thrown violently against a tree before he could finish his exclamation. He heard a violent _crack,_ and he guessed that one of the shells on his arms had been split. Ordinarily, he still would have had enough stamina left to launch a Dazzling Gleam, but the Land Spirit's limbs felt like lead. He couldn't move his body, and only one thing could explain why; the attack had been a critical hit.

"You're KIDDING ME!" yelled Tapu Koko, still having plenty of breath in his lungs to voice a complaint. "I'm done in by a Lunala-fucking CRIT?" As he said this, the Salamence, smirked cruelly and advanced.

"Your overconfidence has done you in, great Tapu," said the Dragon mockingly. "I've waited for this opportunity for a long time. It's not every day you get to kill a Land Spirit." At hearing this, Tapu Koko's eyes widened.

"Whoa, what do you mean, _kill?"_ asked the Electric type with noticeable worry in his tone. The Dragon type above him laughed darkly.

"Well, where else am I going to get proof that I beat a Tapu?" he asked. "A Poke Center gift shop?" The defeated deity knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but he couldn't resist making one last quip.

"Well, I _do_ give autographs," said the Electric/Fairy. "Although, I don't have a pen on me. Do you mind if-uurrrk!"

That last bit was due to Tapu Koko being slammed into the earth with an Iron Head attack. His vision dimmed, and he could just make out the Salamence's jaws glowing an eerie purple for a fatal Poison Fang bite.

Strength left the deity. Just before he slumped into the darkness of unconsciousness, he heard a cry that pierced his muddled senses, and the Salamence averted his gaze to the sky.

"Tapu-Fi-i-i-ni-iii!"

The Electric type passed out.

* * *

" _Koko…"_

Tapu Koko groaned as his mind resurfaced. In all honesty, he did not expect to be alive. His mind was fuzzy as a Whimsicott's fur, and his limbs still felt like overcooked noodles.

" _Are you awake…?"_

 _Damn that Salamence,_ he thought to himself dazedly. _I wonder what happened?_

" _Koko…"_

The weakened Electric type heard a soft, beautiful voice calling out to him. He felt like he could listen to it forever. It sounded like an angel…

" _Get up…"_

The soothing voice found its way to Tapu Koko's ears again. It wanted him to do something… to get up? Finding that he was unable to fully rise, Tapu Koko summoned his will and forced his eyes to flicker open. When he could finally see, he was greeted by the sight of two narrowed, multicolored eyes the same shade as his own.

"Ah!" exclaimed Tapu Koko, using what little strength that had returned to him to shuffle away in shock from the creature. As he did this, the creature spoke.

"Relax, you moron," it said in the lovely voice he'd heard earlier. "It's _me,_ Koko _."_

 _Koko._

With that one word, the disorienting haze around Tapu Koko's mind cleared. _Only one 'mon_ ever _calls me that…_ As realization dawned on him, he felt a tiny bit of heat flow to his face. _Did I really just call her voice "angelic"? She'd kill me if I said that aloud._

"Jeez, that Salamence must have dashed your skull pretty good," said Tapu Fini, the female guardian of Poni Island and Koko's long-time friend/counterpart/source of annoyance. "You're being more of an idiot than you typically are." The opening insult was enough to bring Koko from his thoughts. He shook his head and slowly rose into an unsteady hover.

"Yeah, well no thanks to you," he grumbled in response, taking a second to glance around and determine that they were in Fini's shrine on Poni. "I had it under control." Fini laughed at hearing this, a sound that strangely angered and reassured Koko.

"Yeah, right," said the Water type, her shell bobbing in the air as she did so. "And I'm not a Fairy type."

"I mean it!" snapped Koko, although the acerbity in his voice did nothing to deter Fini. "I was just… letting him think he had the upper hand, alright?" Fini snorted, and her fin-like arms crossed in front of her chest.

"If I'd left you, you'd be dead," she said venomously. "I hope you realize that." For some reason, Fini's tone made Koko unbearably angry.

"Yeah, well how many times do you want me to say thank you?" he said forcefully, his voice on the edge of a shout. A sober look crossed Fini's countenance, and she looked him dead in the eye.

"Once would be nice."

An uncomfortable silence followed that statement, and the two Land Spirits eyed each other. Koko found that the serious edge to her voice snuffed any anger within him, and thus he had nothing to say. After a brief moment, Fini sighed and averted her gaze from his.

"Your shell is cracked, by the way," she said, gesturing to his left arm. Upon looking over, Koko realized that she was correct, and a huge fracture ran down three-fourths of the protective covering's length.

"Hmph," he muttered distastefully. "Guess you didn't save me _that_ quickly, huh?" For all intents and purposes, Koko meant that statement to be received as a compliment. He had, after all, acknowledged the fact that she'd _saved_ him. However, the way Fini's face fell, he guessed she hadn't quite seen it that way. For a split second, he saw her features contort in anger, like the witty Fini he'd always known. Then she drooped again.

"I'm tired," she declared morosely. After doing so, she closed her eyes and curled into a ball, her shell sealing shut around her. Koko rolled his eyes.

"Fini, don't be like this…" he said, approaching the defensive guardian. Before he could continue a pink mist began to spread for Fini, billowing around him like a fierce winds of a blizzard. Almost immediately, Koko felt his eyes grow heavy with exhaustion he hadn't even realized was there. Sleep overtook him, and for the second time that day Tapu Koko fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Tapu Koko's eyes snapped open. He was immediately alert, and he sprang up from the ground into a quick hover. He felt exponentially better than he had before… before…

Koko groaned as he recalled where he was; in his counterpart's home, where he'd then proceeded to somehow sadden Tapu Fini, after which she'd gone to sleep and knocked him out in the process. He shook his head as he recalled their conversation.

It wasn't like Fini to be that sensitive. After all, she _was_ friends with _him,_ and even he admitted that people got aggravated by him sometimes (although Koko thought they were just being weird about it). Typically, Fini would just come back with an equally outrageous statement, and the two would bicker for hours on end. It was something he admired about her, when he thought about it; her ability to realize that Koko didn't really mean half the things he said, and to just keep bantering for the sake of it. Koko re-read that last thought, and his eyes narrowed.

 _Me, admire_ her? he thought in slight disbelief. _No way in Distortion. Not for the next eternity._ Shaking his head, Koko made his way to the exit of the Ruins, ready to return to Melemele. He wanted to return to his _own_ home, and just forget this entire conversation had even happened. It was making him think too much, and that was something he didn't like doing too often.

As it turned out, Fini had fallen asleep in the doorway of her shrine. Koko was about ready to bound over her effortlessly, but he stopped as he realized her shell was open. A small blanket of dread settled over Koko. Their shells _never_ opened while they were sleeping, so this had to mean one of two things. One, she'd woken up and somehow exhausted herself into unconsciousness or two, she'd been knocked out in a battle.

As he got closer, he could see no evidence of a battle on her body. Everything was as it should have been. However, he noticed that there were two thin lines that went down her face, and they gleamed slightly in the light. Koko was about to dismiss it entirely, but a weak noise that came from below him stopped him in his tracks. Looking down in disbelief, he saw the small Water type below him quiver and repeat the same noise.

Fini was crying in her sleep.

Any other time, Koko would have ignored it and moved on with his life. Hell, it's what he _wanted_ to do. Yet he found himself unable to turn away from the fact that his friend was distressed, if only in her sleep.

 _Damn,_ he thought as he kneeled down next to Fini's comatose form. _That fog must have done something to me. I'm getting soft._

Now that he was closer, Koko could hear every quiet, painful sob that came from Fini. Her thin arms curled inwards, as if trying to keep it all inside herself as twin currents of water ran themselves down her cheeks. Her eyes were screwed shut in a manner that almost looked painful.

All these things he noticed at the same moment. And with them, Koko felt a swell of deep worry run through him. The emotion was foreign to him, and he immediately decided that he disliked the heavy weight it brought onto his chest.

As if the new feeling were compelling him (or maybe the residual fog, Koko still wasn't sure), Koko reached over and did something he'd promised himself long ago he'd never do. Gently, he reached down into Fini's shell and slowly wrapped his arms around her back. As he did so, the quivering guardian's head came to rest on his chest, and he could feel every shaky exhale blow over the short fur on his chest. Koko desperately tried to ignore the heat that rushed to his face.

Carefully, he pulled back and lifted Tapu Fini from her protective shell. Her mermaid-like tail flopped to the ground gently as Koko held his friend against his chest. He still wasn't sure _why_ exactly he was doing this. If anything, it was exceedingly dangerous for a potentially injured Tapu to be removed from their protective shell.

Koko didn't know why he wanted to hold her in his arms, and that scared him more than anything else. Unfortunately, that fear was evidently not enough to deter him. He carefully wrapped his arms around Fini in a gentle embrace, tilting his head downwards so it rested on top of hers. As he sat there, Koko realized, a powerful and calming warmth had blossomed in his chest.

 _What the hell am I doing?_ he weakly thought through the haze of warmth that had overtaken him. _What is wrong with me? I'm actually… enjoying this. Why am I enjoying this?_

Suddenly, Koko felt a sharp exhale from Fini spill across his chest. Glancing down, he realized that she had stopped her incessant quivering and that her sobs had ceased. Her features were relaxed, and a small smile had crossed her features. The Electric type froze, trying to get the information through to his already disbelieving brain.

 _I held her and she… calmed down?_ Koko could hardly think cohesively anymore. _She looks beautiful like that. I wonder what she was dreaming about…_

Koko growled to himself, a shot of anger eclipsing the warm serenity for a moment. _Did I really just think that?_ He shook his head violently, trying to dispel the warmth that clouded his mind. _I got her out, she's not crying anymore, so I can go now. Finally._

The Melemele guardian slowly brought his counterpart off the ground again, and he gently placed her back in her shell. As he made to pull away, he felt a gentle resistance and realized with a jolt of panic that Fini had somehow returned his embrace. Her thin arms gently tugged his back, as if imploring him to stay…

Koko tried to extract himself as gently as possible as one thought ran through his head; _please don't wake up, please don't wake up, please don't—_

 _*yawn*_

The innocent sound sent a bolt of panic lancing through Koko's chest. He remained frozen in fearful anticipation as Fini's eyes fluttered, her long lashes brushing against his chest and sending a shiver down his spine.

The Water type's round eyes opened fully, and for the first moment of consciousness her face was… serene. It looked to Koko that, in that short moment, Fini was content with herself. She looked innocently, unbearably _happy._ The expression soon faded into what appeared to be hopeful shock. He didn't know if it was involuntary or not, but Fini's grip on him tightened slightly as she tilted her head back to look up at him. Koko noticed for the first time that Fini's eyes were similar to kaleidoscopes, with hundreds of fragment of color swirling within them.

"Koko…?" The Electric type found that hearing his friend's voice snapped him out of the stupor he'd been in for the better part of ten minutes. He jerked himself free from Fini's grip, and as soon as he did the pulsing warmth he'd been feeling drained away.

The Water type's arms were still partially outstretched, as if she wanted to prolong the embrace he'd unwittingly initiated.

Koko scoffed to himself. _Yeah, right. As if._

"Don't leave…" The pleading tone to Fini's voice and the forlorn look she bore sent a painful twinge resounding through Koko's chest. "Please…"

"I-I-I…" Koko found himself unable to say anything. His mind felt broken, like it had been smashed to bits in the last few minutes. Instinctively, the Melemele guardian bolted past his friend and flew through the exit.

"No!" Koko did his best to ignore the absolute heartbroken-sounding cry of his friend as he desperately flew back to Melemele. He was panicked. He was scared. He was unsure. He just _didn't know._

Tapu Koko, the mighty Land Spirit of Melemele Island, ran as far and fast as he could from his feelings.

* * *

 _ **One week later**_

* * *

It was time.

Tapu Fini hovered back and forth erratically in her shrine in the aerial version of pacing. Worry and doubt clouded her mind, and who could blame her? The Alolan Legendaries had recently learned that there were others in the world like themselves. Their ruler, a Pokémon called Arceus, had invited each of them to attend their annual Reunion so they could be properly introduced to the other 50+ Legends that existed in the faraway regions of the world.

That, however, wasn't what worried her. Fini had always been exceptionally good with other 'mon, finding it easy to interact with others and to make friends. No, she wasn't worried about the Reunion at all.

Her problems lay tremendously closer to home. On the island right next to hers, as it happened.

Fini had struggled with inner turmoil ever since the week before, when she'd saved Tapu Koko. Once she had deliberately put him to sleep, she had worked a series of Heal Pulses on him, mending his injuries. Most of them had been relatively minor, but the large fracture on his left shell plate was something that took quite a bit of time and energy to fix. So much so that Fini could do nothing else but pass out from the exhaustion the healing had caused her.

Her sleep was restless, and she knew exactly why; it was recoil from her healing. Using healing moves didn't simply make the injuries magically go away. Some minor things could be mended with no issues, but with an injury as massive as Koko had, recoil was inevitable. However, the recoil was never physical, but emotional instead.

Koko wasn't as carefree and dismissive as he appeared to be. From the recoil alone, she'd learned that inside the shell of brashness and flair, there lay a 'mon who was filed with doubt, sadness, and worry. For him, the only way to cope with it was to push it all down and hide it with bluster.

 _It certainly explains a lot,_ Fini remarked to herself.

All that negativity had reflected itself unto her slumber. So, she was understandably shocked when she awoke to Koko holding her in a tight embrace and to the intense feeling of warmth that rocketed through her at the realization.

This was more than an embarrassing moment or an awkward situation. When she'd seen Koko in the seconds before he'd fled, she'd had a deep and resounding feeling of love for him. Now, initially, she had dismissed it as a hormonal reaction mixed with the healing recoil. After all, Koko was a _massive_ idiot at times, and he'd never been more than a simple friend to her before.

As the days had trudged on, and as the feelings failed to fade, she began to realize what exactly had caused it. She _understood_ her friend now, in a way that no one else possibly could. She felt _his_ worries, she knew _his_ fears, and she _understood_ him so personally that she couldn't do anything but love him for it.

However, it was exactly in Koko's nature to forget things almost immediately. Most of Fini's apprehension stemmed from the fact that Koko was most likely going to not even remember what he'd done, and she would be left at his mercy for being flustered at "nothing".

Needless to say, the idea of being in the same room as the Electric type in front of a massive audience didn't exactly make for happy-fun times.

Fini took a deep breath and shook her head. _I am a powerful guardian of Alola. I refuse to be afraid of uncertainty. I refuse to let rampant emotions control my actions._

…

 _Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I'm a mess. May as well accept it._

With a resigned sigh, Tapu Fini shook her head and left for the Reunion; some place Arceus had called the _Hall of Origin._

* * *

"Order!"

Tapu Koko raised an amused eyebrow as the white being that called himself _Arceus_ tried desperately to silence the massive council of Legends that sat before them. When he'd first heard of these _other Legendaries_ and their _noble ruler_ Arceus, he had been impressed. To be able to control so many god-like creatures without question, this Arceus had to be a truly magnificent creature.

"I said ORDER!"

Koko scoffed to himself as he witnessed Arceus' hopeless attempts to silence the council. _Magnificent, my butt._

From beside Arceus, an imposing six-legged basilisk stomped forward. In a smooth feminine voice, she said, "Shut up, you idiots."

Instant silence befell the council. Arceus gave an annoyed huff and turned to face the basilisk. "Giratina, how many times to I have to tell you? I've got it." Giratina, as the massive Dragon was called, smirked at her "superior" and returned the glance.

"Well, if these new Legends are going to stay at the Hall, they've got to know how things work," said Giratina. "You're an imbecile, and everyone's afraid of me." Arceus growled in annoyance as the basilisk's smirk widened, but Solgaleo cleared his throat from beside Koko. Arceus seemed to gather himself, and he shot Giratina a quick glare before addressing the still-silent council.

"I've called you all here today for the introduction of the seventh wave of legendaries, hailing from the Alola Region of humans." The qilin gestured to the line of seven Legends, who all waved or nodded in greeting.

"Firstly, we have the members of the Dimensional trio," said Arceus, gesturing to Solgaleo. "I'll let you introduce yourselves." The lion nodded and took a step forward.

"Ah, well… hello, then. I am Solgaleo, the Legend of the Sun. My companions and I are referred to as the Dimensional trio because we technically are from an alternate dimension." A few murmurs came through the table, and Solgaleo stepped back uncertainly. Lunala rolled her eyes and floated forwards.

"I am Lunala, Legend of the Moon, and you can all relax," she said briskly. "We already know Hoopa because she stumbled into our dimension a few days ago. She's the reason you even know about us in the first place." The mumbling Legends fell silent, and Koko couldn't suppress a grin at their apparent uneasiness. Lunala was actually a very kind and warm-hearted creature, but she turned colder than a Sandshrew's icicle whenever she got defensive.

Necrozma stepped forward and began introducing himself, but Koko had already tuned him out. The Psychic type always seemed to bore him for one reason or another, he could never figure out why.

"Thank you, the three of you," Arceus said after Necrozma had finished, before turning to the other four Alolan deities. "The other four are known as the Guardians of Alola."

Koko grinned and stepped forward with a sharp cry, making half the Legends flinch. "I'm Tapu Koko, guardian of Melemele Island!" he declared proudly, thumping his chest. "I bet I could take any of you on in my sleep! I'm-hey—!"

"Ignore my idiot counterpart," said Tapu Fini suddenly, brushing Koko aside. The amassed Legends chuckled as he shot Fini an indignant glare. "He's all bluster, don't worry. I'm Tapu Fini, guardian of Poni Island." She glanced his way and smirked lightly before turning back to the crowd.

Koko pushed down the memories that resurfaced at seeing his friend again. There was no point in revisiting them; there was no chance of anything growing from them anyways.

After Tapu Lele and Bulu had introduced themselves, Arceus nodded sagely. "Thank you all for joining our quite large family. I understand there are a few of your comrades who couldn't make it, but I hope you will find honorable companions while you reside here." Giratina laughed at this.

"Forgive the formal and wise leader," she said casually. "We know your names now, so feel free to mingle or whatever. Welcome to the Hall." The amassed Legends gave shouts of assent, and the crowd began to disperse, some mingling with the Alolan natives. Koko noticed Lunala striking a conversation with what looked like a phantom and a metallic swan, and Solgaleo conversing with a large land lizard and a floating blue whale/fish.

"Koko."

The Electric type jumped at hearing the nickname spoken from behind him. Almost afraid to do so, Koko turned around to face Fini, who had a small smile on her face. He made a massive effort to stop his observations of her there as he replied with a casual, "Yeah?"

Fini wrung her fins together, almost like she was nervous. "I just wanted to ask… how are you holding up?" A bolt of panic seized Koko, but he quickly concealed his reaction.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said as casually as possible. "Can't even feel my injuries anymore so thanks, I guess." Koko made to turn away, but Fini latched onto his left shell before he could escape. He was forced to look back at his friend, who fixed him with a serious gaze.

"You know that's not what I meant, Koko." The Electric type tried to shrug off the comment.

"No, I don't," he said quickly. Fini frowned, and Koko wilted a little at seeing the fierce determination in her eyes; she wasn't just going to cut him loose. Before she could press him any further, they were interrupted.

"Hey guys!" said the newcomer in a female voice. "I'm Mespirit. I was wondering if I could talk to you guys for a quick second." Koko eagerly leapt at his opportunity for escape.

"Yes, I'd be cool with that!" he said a bit louder than necessary. Fini punched him on the shoulder, but he ignored it. However, his hopes were somewhat dashed when Mespirit shook her head.

"Sorry Tapu Koko," she said politely. "I meant I wanted to just talk with Tapu Fini for a quick second. I'll be done before you know it!"

 _Okay, this still solves my problem,_ Koko realized. _It gets Fini out of my hair and gives me time to think of a way out of this._

"Sure," he said, scooting to the side in a manner that would have been chivalrous coming from almost anyone else. "Fini." The Water type flushed slightly before nodding and floating off after Mespirit, who had wrapped a small arm around her shell. Koko sighed in relief once they were out of earshot, but suddenly something pink filled up most of his vision.

"Oh, you're screwed."

Koko blinked, not quite sure if he wanted to get angry or not. "Excuse me?"

The pink cat-like figure chuckled. "You're about to go through hell is what I meant. I'm Mew, by the way."

Koko narrowed his eyes. "And why exactly am I going to hell? And tell me why I shouldn't drag you with me?" Mew laughed and did an aerial somersault.

"Mespirit is my girlfriend," he said, which did nothing to clarify. "She's the Being of Emotion."

Koko growled. This "Mew" was becoming _very_ annoying. "Why exactly am I supposed to care about that?" Mew smirked, and Koko felt his anger rise another notch.

"As soon as you and your pretty counterpart over there started talking," began the cat, the _pretty_ comment eliciting something that felt horrendously like jealousy within Koko. "She got the worst headache imaginable. She can _sense_ all the issues you guys are having, so she sent me to talk to you."

Koko scoffed. "I don't know what _issues_ you're talking about buddy, but I've got no problem at all with Fini." Mew smiled mischievously.

"I know you don't," he said in a conspiring whisper. Koko was not stupid, despite his short temper, so he understood exactly what the cat was implying.

"Don't even start with that kind of thing," he snapped testily. "Don't turn this into some cheesy b-list romance movie where you twist my words around until I say I love her or something stupid like that."

"I wasn't going to," he said earnestly. "But then I poked around in your memories from last week. Dude, that whole scene was just _too cute."_

Koko finally snapped, his rage taking ahold of him. With an enraged shout, he grabbed Mew from the air and pinned him roughly against the white tile at their feet. Electricity surged through his body as a deathly silence fell over the Hall, and every head turned his way. Mew's expression was one of pure panic. Koko glanced around, glaring at all the Legends, and he caught Fini's eye. Her expression was crestfallen, as if she felt _sad_ for him or she _pitied_ him. Koko dismissed the thought with a mental scoff.

 _Who would ever feel_ sorry _for a bastard like me?_

Koko leaned down so his angered face was inches from the quivering Mew's. "Don't ever make fun of me like that again," he snarled breathlessly. "My life and my friends are none of your business." The Melemele guardian jerked the Mew upright and shoved him away.

"Get out of my sight," he snapped, "before I get involved in _your_ personal life." Mew quickly teleported away without another word.

A deathly silence fell over the Hall. Koko felt the eyes of every Legend on him, but he only cared about one. Fini's expression was still one of sympathy, her multi-colored eyes gleaming with what _could_ have been tears, but probably weren't. And for some reason… the fact that Fini looked so _understanding_ despite the threat he'd just issued to a new comrade made him angrier than ever.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?" Koko's shout made almost every Legend present jump in either surprise or fear. Quiet murmurs began to break the silence, murmurs that undoubtedly involved _him._

"OUT. OF. MY. WAY." Koko felt electricity surge through him, and he rocketed down a random corridor of the Hall, not caring where exactly he was going. He just wanted to get away from Fini and her _concern._

 _No one should ever be concerned for me,_ thought Tapu Koko bitterly as he rocketed through the halls. _No one should ever have to understand me. If they did, they'd hate me._

* * *

 ***A bit of a flashback, FYI***

"Sure," said Tapu Koko, sliding off to the side to allow Tapu Fini to follow Mespirit. "Fini." The Water type felt heat rush to her face, but she forced her expression to remain neutral as she nodded politely before following Mespirit, who had draped an arm around her reassuringly and flashed her a wide, friendly smile. Once they were out of Koko's earshot, Mespirit immediately turned to face Fini. Her jovial expression evaporated into one of pity and sympathy.

"Tapu Fini," she said solemnly, holding onto her shoulders with her tiny grey paws. "I am _so_ sorry." The Poni guardian blinked in confusion, bracing herself for the clarification that would come.

"Sorry for what?"

"I can read emotions," Mespirit said gently, and out of nowhere she pulled Fini into a comforting hug. "I know what you're feeling, and I'm so, _so_ sorry." Fini took a moment to absorb the fact that Mespirit could read her admittedly frayed emotions before returning the embrace tightly. She wasn't proud of it at all, but she felt tears slide down her cheeks.

After several moments of consolation, Mespirit withdrew from Fini but kept their hands locked reassuringly. Her expression was one of serious concern. "Tell me everything," Mespirit asked gently. "I could always read you, but it's better if you tell me." Fini nodded slowly, wiping away the last remnants of her tears before starting.

"I know this is ridiculous," she said with a faint shudder in her voice. "I feel weak at how easily I've been reduced to a quivering mess by all that's happened, a-and…" Fini trailed off for a moment to collect herself before she started bawling. "A-and he's such an idiot, and he insults me, and he gets angry for no reason, and he's arrogant, a-and h-he… he…" Fini buried her face in her hands to hide the onset of tears that would undoubtedly surface. Mespirit nodded slowly, patiently waiting for the Alolan guardian to finish her catharsis.

"…but he… h-he's hurt inside," Fini said in between heavy breaths, her voice on the verge of breaking. "I-I've seen it, and I know it's there. H-he's hurt and sad and worried inside, and all I want to do is _help_ him and make it all go away but…" Fini stopped again, this time to sniffle loudly. "H-he won't _let_ me. He's too scared to let anyone else inside, s-so he pushes me away a-and tries to deny it, b-but I can see through him a-and I…" Fini's voice faded into a series of soft, quiet sobs, the emotions in her speech catching up to her and refusing to leave her be. Mespirit nodded calmly and spoke.

"And you…?" she prompted gently, like a Trainer trying to calm a spooked Rapidash. Fini nodded slowly had took in a shuddering breath.

"A-and I want to help him so bad it _hurts,_ because I can understand h-him and I know that he could be better i-if he'd just let me in but he doesn't so it just _hurts,_ it hurts so much a-and…" Fini didn't bother trying to compose herself this time, plowing through her heated tears. "I-I understand him so well, a-and I just can't help but _love_ him, so I _love_ him a-and he doesn't… h-he doesn't… doesn't…" Fini lost control then, unabashedly bawling her eyes out in front of Mespirit. The Being of Emotion whispered to her soothingly.

"There, there…" Fini felt Mespirit's paw rub up and down the small of her back gently, and she slowly began to calm down. "I know that was hard. Thank you for sharing all that." Fini nodded emptily, barely even processing the pixie's words.

"I've seen inside him as well, you know," Mespirit said. Fini perked up immediately, drawing back and fixing the other Legend with a hopeful gaze.

"What?" she asked breathlessly. "And what did you…?" Mespirit smiled widely, and Fini felt a warm bubble of hope rise up in her throat.

"He doesn't know it yet," she said gently. "But I know it's there. The problem is, it's buried so deep he never wants to look at it." Fini blinked, her sorrow-drained mind not fully processing what Mespirit was saying.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Mespirit said with a small tone of happiness, "that he loves you, but you have to make him realize it."

A flood of ridiculous happiness mixed with relief rushed through Fini as she heard that. _There's a chance,_ she thought giddily to herself. _Thank Lunala, there's a chance_. Fini was about to thank Mespirit with another big hug, but all conversations in the Hall were interrupted by a familiar-sounding shout.

 _Oh, no,_ thought Fini as she turned to face the sound's origin, which happened to be none other than Tapu Koko himself. It looked like he had pinned down a smaller Legend, who somewhat resembled a pink cat. This was something Fini had been afraid of; Koko losing his cool and ruining the Council's first impression of him. From beside Fini, Mespirit groaned quietly.

"Oh, Mew," she said quietly, and Fini assumed that was the cat's name. "What did you do now?" The Being of Emotion turned to Fini and whispered, "This was probably Mew's fault. I sent him to talk to Tapu Koko, and he probably said something stupid to provoke him." Fini let out a small breath of relief. If Koko had snapped at a childish prankster, it wasn't as destructive to his image.

By complete accident, Fini met Koko's anger-filled eyes. The second she did, his expression relaxed slightly, as if he had become somewhat reassured by her. The thought sent a tiny spurt of happiness through her, but it soon evaporated as his anger resurfaced ten-fold. _He's still fighting it,_ Fini realized. _Mespirit was completely right._

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?" The shout made Fini flinch, as it was much more primal and defensive than was customary of Koko. It made him sound like a starved animal who was fighting for a final scrap of meat, desperately protecting it. The thought saddened her, because she understood why he acted that way. It was a defense mechanism.

"OUT. OF. MY. WAY." Koko's sharp statement cleared a small path for him that led to a separate hallway. Like the electricity of his typing, Koko bolted out of the Hall, leaving a small trail of sparks behind him.

Fini wasted no time in hovering forward to where Koko had been seconds before. "I'm sorry about this, everyone," she said in a raised voice. "He's normally not like this at all."

"Don't apologize," said Giratina from the front of the room. "We all know Mew is an idiot and besides, we're all used to _some_ kind of drama going on." Mespirit nodded and came up to Fini.

"Why don't you go try to calm him down?" she asked, although the message in her eyes screamed something entirely different; _Now's your chance. Make the most of it._

A determined light came to Tapu Fini's eyes. She nodded once, hugged Mespirit in thanks, and sped off after her long-time friend.

Once she'd left, Mew materialized next to Mespirit giving her a cheeky grin. "So? How'd I do?" The Being of Emotion laughed and pecked her boyfriend on the cheek.

"You did a _very_ good job playing the clueless idiot," she said sweetly, wrapping the other Psychic type into a hug. "Thanks. You know how much I like it when you help me with my matchmaking." Mew drew back and smiled.

"Aw, it's no problem." Mew smirked. "Isn't this a new record? We've only known them for what, five minutes?"

"It might be," Mespirit said, looking down the hallway the two Tapus had vanished down. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"About what?"

"Whether they come back holding hands, or just one with the other's head."

* * *

 _clatterclatterCLANG_

Another oversize pot was thrown against the marble walls. Tapu Koko's angry escapade had led him to a dead end; the Hall's kitchen. He'd been there for several minutes and already the walls were dented and splattered with sauces and ingredients.

He wasn't angry with Mew; not anymore. Now, all the energy and anger that propelled the contents of the room against the walls was directed towards himself. Koko knew he was afraid of far too many things. He also knew that an irrational fear stemmed from every one. He even was willing to acknowledge (if only to himself) that his way of dealing with the fear was probably not the best.

 _CLANG._ A coffee mug found its mark, shattering against the walls. Koko closed his eyes and drew a shuddering breath. _Why do I have to be so afraid of myself?_ Koko asked himself, floating over to a wall and tilting his head against it in self-defeat. _I shouldn't be hating this, should I? I should be… enjoying it, right? I shouldn't avoid it. I should embrace it. I shouldn't reject Fini._

 _I should love her._

Koko sighed heavily, beating a fist weakly against the wall. _As if I don't tell myself that a hundred times every day._ The Melemele guardian felt all the anger and the adrenaline drain away from him, and he felt gravity tug at him a little harder, asking him to lay on the ground and give up fighting. _Why do I do this to myself?_ Koko thought. _Why can't I at least admit it to an empty room?_

"I love you, Fini," whispered Koko under his breath. "I always have."

There was a brief silence while he felt his statement sink in, fully accepting it for the first time in his life.

"… Koko?"

He knew who it was the second he heard his name spoken. She _was_ the only one who called him that, as it were.

Trying to bury his worry about whether or not she'd heard him a few seconds prior, the Electric type lifted his head and turned to face his counterpart, summoning a weak smile. "Hey, Fin," he said as casually as possible. "What do you need?" Fini's eyes were clouded with worry and something that suspiciously looked like hope, and they gleamed like she'd been crying moments before.

"Are you okay?" she asked slowly, approaching him while cautiously eyeing the debris on the floor. Koko tried to go for a lighthearted chuckle, but it sounded more like a groan.

"What, all this?" he asked, gesturing to the destruction uneasily. "I was just mad, y'see, and I—." The Electric type stuttered to a halt as he met his counterpart's serious gaze. He got lost in her kaleidoscopic eyes, and he found himself unable to lie to her. _I've never been able to lie to her for long._

"Koko."

"Yes?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Well, what do you mean?" he snapped, some of his anger surfacing instinctively. However, his small outburst did not deter Fini. If anything, it looked like it encouraged her.

"I wanted to talk to you," she said in a voice that was suddenly filled with embarrassment. "A-about—."

"Last week?"

Fini stuttered into a silent shock, evidently surprised that he knew what she was talking about. "You knew all this time?" she asked in slight disbelief. "Why did you—?"

"I was afraid," Koko admitted bluntly. "Although you already knew that, didn't you?" Fini's mouth gaped open like a fish. Any other time he would have teased her mercilessly for it, but now he found himself unable to. He settled for a knowing chuckle.

"I may be loud and obnoxious, but I'm not so thickheaded to miss the fact that you healed my shell." Koko felt a small spark of content whizz through him at seeing Fini's pale face flush purple as he hefted his left shell to enunciate. "I also know about the recoil, but there's something about it I don't think either of us knew." He paused to meet Fini's gaze for a short moment before continuing.

"The recoil goes both ways." This statement seemed to snap Fini out of her slight stupor, and she shook her thin head in disagreement.

"That makes no sense," she said. "Why would healing take a toll on the patient? It could end up hurting them more than it helps." Koko smirked at this, and twin feelings of anxiety and hope rose within him as he opened his mouth to reply.

"Well, something weird had to have happened," he stated plainly, a small smile on his face as he closed the distance between the two of them to but a few feet, "because after you healed me I think I fell in love with you."

Fini's hands flew straight to her mouth. Her eyes shone with barely restrained tears, and with their proximity he could hear every shuddering and fractured breath she took. Koko hoped to all hell that it meant something good as he continued.

"I mean, it must have always been there, I guess," he said. "I just never knew what it was. I'd always like our little bickering contests. I've always liked you. But I was afraid of two things." Fini stayed still as a stone, not moving an inch. Koko hoped this was a sign to continue.

"First, I was afraid of myself." A trace of confusion crossed Fini's expression before he continued. "I'd never felt anything like this before. I wasn't sure if something was really wrong with me, or if I was going crazy. So since I couldn't face myself, I hid myself behind all the bluster and the anger."

"Secondly…" Koko allowed himself to close his eyes and turn his head away.

"I was afraid you didn't love me back. I was afraid of rejection, so like anyone else I buried those feelings so deep that I'd never have to face them again." Koko glanced at Fini and chuckled. "You always managed to bring them back to me, though. I couldn't hide forever. So there you have it."

Silence. Koko waited silently, not daring to open his eyes and face his counterpart. After what felt like an eternity, he heard Fini respond.

"… I hated you."

Koko's head snapped up, his eyes flying open in hurtful shock. Fini's eyes still gleamed with waiting tears, but she wore a beautiful smile that contradicted her words.

"You annoyed me." Fini moved the slightest bit closer. "You insulted me." Closer. "At some times, you even hurt me." Even closer. Koko felt heat rush to his face, and he barely managed to stutter out a question.

"What… what does that mean?" Fini closed her eyes now, sighing deeply.

"It means…" she said softly, moving so close that Koko could feel her warm breath on his lips. "I want to hate you, but I can't." There was a brief moment of electrified suspense as both deities took in the others words. Then their lips met in a soft but passionate kiss.

Koko wasn't sure if he or Fini had initiated the act, but he honestly couldn't care less as he felt a rush of relief, joy, and warmth surge through him. For perhaps the first time in his very long life, Koko didn't feel alone. He was connected with Fini now, in more ways than one. He didn't have to be afraid anymore, or alone, or annoying. He was free, and he loved it. Sadly, it couldn't last forever, as the two still needed oxygen to breathe, and they were forced to separate.

Fini was breathless, her face flushed a deep undersea purple as she took deep, gasping breaths. "Wow," she said finally, clearly unable to say anything else. Koko smiled widely and brought a hand up to brush Fini's cheek, wary of his shell.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly, almost to himself. Fini's blush deepened, if that was at all possible, and Koko took notice of the way she leaned into his touch. "I've wanted to say that to you for so long…" At this Fini smiled, some of her personality returning.

"Well, now you can tell me as often as you want," she said happily, her bright eyes shining with love and joy. She leaned forward and rested her head on his chest and wrapped her thin arms around him, just as she had in her sleep a week ago. "God, I love you, Koko," she whispered against his chest as he tilted his head down to rest on hers.

"I do too, Fini," Koko said eventually, basking in the wonderful firestorm of warmth that their embrace sent through him. "Believe me, I do."

* * *

The two guardians of Alola stayed in each other's arms for as long they could, until they were finally interrupted by Giratina, who had been sent to search for the pair after they'd went missing. As they returned to the Hall's council room, the new couple was greeted by no small amount of questioning glances and stares, a few even coming from their own Alolan comrades. They couldn't have cared less what any of them thought, though. They were together.

That was all that mattered.


End file.
